Abstract

“Craft is an anachronism – discuss …”
Some twenty-five years ago, on applying for a place at a college of art to study
ceramics, Julian was asked to write an essay on the above topic. Naturally he
was keen to impress so he responded to the question by declaring his
enthusiasm for the craft of the potter. As far as he can remember, he expounded
on the importance of striving for standards of fitness and beauty derived from
tradition, quoting Bernard Leach. All his essay did was confirm his lack of
contemporary knowledge and his anachronistic view of what ceramics could be.
In the intervening years, critics of the crafts might well have responded to the
question in the following terms …
Today’s craft represents an unsustainable model of practice. Craft workers
survive on poverty wages and indulge in unsafe working practices – often
ecologically unsound, using potentially toxic materials and procedures,
fundamentally inefficient, relying on extremely limited levels of output, unwilling to
adopt new ways of working. Their designs are often lacking, using the excuse of
a rustic aesthetic to justify poor levels of functionality. Modern craft workers are
predominantly middle class individuals indulging in an expensive pastime
producing vast amounts of unwanted objects d’art …
This paper attempts to address the potentially damning criticism of contemporary
craft expressed in the previous paragraph. If this criticism were correct it would
be hard to justify continuing to educate new craft makers. The recent decline in
single subject specialist craft courses in the UK may be explained if the
perception of contemporary craft matches the criticism above. The paper defines
craft connexity in terms of a networking of socially engaged contemporary craft
practice. The concept of “intelligent making” is examined. It will propose new
models of craft practice, operating through sustainable environmentally sensitive
working methods and materials. The model describes craft makers who are
aesthetically aware, IT literate, sometimes acting as social critics and capable of
developing new design concepts. The paper sets out the essential ingredients
for a modern craft curriculum, which includes research skills, sustainable design
practice, collaborative design practice, critical awareness, IT skills and business
management.
The practice of craft has moved on since Julian’s first attempt to respond to the
question of whether or not craft is an anachronism. It is now time to re-examine
and challenge the value of craft education. The authors propose a more
sustainable model of craft education and practice.